Petition: Bring the NBA back to Vancouver

[WarrenC12]

Let's remember Seattle doesn't even have an NBA team anymore. I don't see anybody in Vancouver putting up the money for one. Too much risk.

[KPELLY]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Let's remember Seattle doesn't even have an NBA team anymore. I don't see anybody in Vancouver putting up the money for one. Too much risk.

Seattle will likely get one if they get an arena built, but yes they have a much better chance than Vancouver at this point.

I think that Seattle will get the arena built, and if that happens I can see an NHL expansion team (along with Las Vegas) and NBA team in Seattle.

http://www.king5.com/story/sports/20...ttle/24007447/

Although probably less than 10% chance, I would love to see a Vancouver/Seattle NHL and NBA rivalry to join the MLS rivalry which is one of the best in the league.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by csbvan

I sometimes think that basketball was the wrong choice for a new professional sports team in Vancouver. Baseball seems like a better fit (although far from my favourite sport...)- a baseball team wouldn't compete directly with the Canucks as it is a summer sport (instead it would compete with the Whitecaps who play far fewer games to the point where the teams wouldn't really compete), also there are sizable Japanese and Korean populations in Vancouver and baseball is quite popular in both countries. There seems to be a lot of professional baseball players from BC, and the Lower Mainland in particular, too which could help feed into excitement for a team.

Basketball was/is the wrong choice for a pro sports team in Vancouver (imo). Not so much because the people here wouldn't support it, but because the players here wouldn't support the city. They will not play their best game here, and the fans could easily sense that. These are overgrown children we're talking about.

It's regrettable that the Whitecaps waterfront stadium didn't get built, but maybe a waterfront baseball park could be built. This would make the venue itself an attraction on top of the baseball game. It's a realistic plan if you phase it in. Build a 20 000 seat minor league park that is expandable to major league standards.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by logan5

Basketball was/is the wrong choice for a pro sports team in Vancouver (imo). Not so much because the people here wouldn't support it, but because the players here wouldn't support the city. They will not play their best game here, and the fans could easily sense that. These are overgrown children we're talking about.

It's regrettable that the Whitecaps waterfront stadium didn't get built, but maybe a waterfront baseball park could be built. This would make the venue itself an attraction on top of the baseball game. It's a realistic plan if you phase it in. Build a 20 000 seat minor league park that is expandable to major league standards.

I agree. I don't think Vancouver ever would have attracted good enough players to be a contender, and that is fatal.

I also think a baseball stadium on the waterfront would be a great attraction. Not to mention a baseball game would be a good activity for tourists to do in the summer if the stadium was in the downtown area. I suppose it would have to have a retractable roof though for spring/fall and that could make things expensive.

[Phil McAvity]

In 1996 Metro Vancouver's population was 1.8 million, 15 years later in 2011 it was 2.3 million or about 20% greater so when one considers Seattle lost it's team and greater Seattle is about half again the population of greater Vancouver, it's hard to imagine Vancouver getting another team any time soon.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

In 1996 Metro Vancouver's population was 1.8 million, 15 years later in 2011 it was 2.3 million or about 20% greater so when one considers Seattle lost it's team and greater Seattle is about half again the population of greater Vancouver, it's hard to imagine Vancouver getting another team any time soon.

Seattle lost their team because the owner was a dick, not for market reasons. Also corporate headquarters are much more important than population - Seattle is a great market and Vancouver is a poor one. With the loonie plummeting again, there's no reason to even dream about NBA coming back.

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by csbvan

I agree. I don't think Vancouver ever would have attracted good enough players to be a contender, and that is fatal.

I also think a baseball stadium on the waterfront would be a great attraction. Not to mention a baseball game would be a good activity for tourists to do in the summer if the stadium was in the downtown area. I suppose it would have to have a retractable roof though for spring/fall and that could make things expensive.

MLB isn't happening in our lifetimes. NBA has a better chance of making a return than MLB entering into this market for the first time.

Also. A player by the name of Steve Nash, wanted to come and play here when the Grizzlies were here. But the GM of that time (Mr. Jackson), didn't draft him. I believe Nash won back to back MVP. One of the greatest point guards to have played the game. What, and where would the Grizz be, if they had drafted that white, young man from Victoria?

[Vancity]

There's still hope the NBA will come back!

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by logan5

Basketball was/is the wrong choice for a pro sports team in Vancouver (imo). Not so much because the people here wouldn't support it, but because the players here wouldn't support the city. They will not play their best game here, and the fans could easily sense that. These are overgrown children we're talking about.

It's regrettable that the Whitecaps waterfront stadium didn't get built, but maybe a waterfront baseball park could be built. This would make the venue itself an attraction on top of the baseball game. It's a realistic plan if you phase it in. Build a 20 000 seat minor league park that is expandable to major league standards.

Wonder if Nash, now that he's retired, would think about trying to get the NBA to come back to Van. He said it's an option in an interview with the VancouverSun.

[isaidso]

Vancouver will eventually get both NBA and MLB. I have little doubt that it can support both. The issue is having the right ownership group in place when the opportunity arises for a re-location or league expansion. I'd be disappointed if Canada wasn't home to 5-6 teams in each league in my life time. Canada will certainly produce 5-6 cities large enough and wealthy enough to do so.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by Vancity

Wonder if Nash, now that he's retired, would think about trying to get the NBA to come back to Van. He said it's an option in an interview with the VancouverSun.

He would, but any NBA team would need the involvement of the Canucks Sports and Entertainment in at least some level. Its really too bad that all they (the Canucks) seem to be interested in is abusing their existing hockey fan base when their is a very large (and growing) local basketball fanbase that is growing but is largely ignored.

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

He would, but any NBA team would need the involvement of the Canucks Sports and Entertainment in at least some level. Its really too bad that all they (the Canucks) seem to be interested in is abusing their existing hockey fan base when their is a very large (and growing) local basketball fanbase that is growing but is largely ignored.

yeah. I agree. But eventually, I don't know if the Aquilini's can ignore the growing basketball fanbase, just because of personal views on the sport. If the NBA is going to make the Aquilini's and CSE more valuable at the end of the day, I'd have to believe that they make a business decision.

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Vancouver will eventually get both NBA and MLB. I have little doubt that it can support both. The issue is having the right ownership group in place when the opportunity arises for a re-location or league expansion. I'd be disappointed if Canada wasn't home to 5-6 teams in each league in my life time. Canada will certainly produce 5-6 cities large enough and wealthy enough to do so.

I'd hope so too! Would love for MLB and NBA to be in this city, with crazy mad NHL hockey, and CFL and MLS too! Sporting events year round

With that being said. I'm not sure which ownership group would step up for MLB. I can see Nash and the Aquilinis partnering (strictly business, nothing personal) up and attempting to bring the NBA to Van, and make it work.

But I can't see Aquilini's attempting to bring MLB to Van. Don't know if there's enough support for MLB. PLUS, there's no stadium to fit a potential franchise. BC Place won't work. Rogers obviously not.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I'd be disappointed if Canada wasn't home to 5-6 teams in each league in my life time. Canada will certainly produce 5-6 cities large enough and wealthy enough to do so.

I laughed reading this. No one's gonna invest in Montreal until the separatism issue is squashed forever and all other cities have volatile economies - if they have any at all. You need new arenas and lots of corporate money above all. Canada will have to fundamentally change as a country to support so many teams, and maybe it will 50 years from now, which I guess would probably still count as in your lifetime?

[Vancity]

Originally Posted by Pinion

I laughed reading this. No one's gonna invest in Montreal until the separatism issue is squashed forever and all other cities have volatile economies - if they have any at all. You need new arenas and lots of corporate money above all. Canada will have to fundamentally change as a country to support so many teams, and maybe it will 50 years from now, which I guess would probably still count as in your lifetime?

Montreal, I think, will have MLB come back in our lifetimes.

The most realistic, though, has to be the NBA making it's eventual return to Vancouver. I think that'll happen in our lifetimes.

[Hot Rod]

I seriously doubt the NBA will return to Seattle for a number of reasons. While the owner of the NBA OKC Thunder likely wanted to move the franchise to OKC all along, it was Seattle and WA that gave him the go-ahead on not building a new arena or seriously starting over at KeyArena. Yes, I am saying this as a Seattle resident (but born in OKC). The owner would have either made a killing in Seattle or sold it and got another team in OKC, but it was US who let the Sonics go or at least made it easier for Bennett to move.

As for Vancouver, I DO think Van City will get a team. You already have a very viable arena and a huge market (also include Seattle [and maybe Calgary/AB] in this market catchment, by the way since WE always like to include Vancouver [and Portland] in our NFL, MLB catchment). There doesn't need to be any more corporate presence than what Vancouver already has, sponsorships do not need to be local and I'm sure Vancouver would have no problem getting national/world corporate advertisers and sponsors.

The key is - Vancouver needs ownership committed to getting a team back much like OKC had with the Thunder and (drumroll) Memphis with stealing the Grizz away in the first place. It was the OWNER in both of these situations that made it happen, both SEA and VAN made it easier for the owner to do it but ownership with dollars, vision, and patience is what is needed. There are plenty of cities around the NBA whose teams are in jeopardy due to arena and/or profitability - with Alquini + Nash ownership (along with Nash as the GM), you can bet that Vancouver NBA team would be highly successful in due time especially if the team can get rising stars internationally (Toronto model) or luck out in the draft and develop those players (OKC model). Seattle is often the posterchild for relocations but honestly I seriously doubt any team will come back here even after a new arena MIGHT get built (and that aint even for sure) given the bad blood.

Me personally, I would have preferred that OKC just kept the Hornets franchise but that would have been a blow to New Orleans who already had a huge natural disaster - so the NBA wanted to avoid that PR hit and instead allow Clay Bennett to rid the NBA of a hostile, elitist city with a piss poor arena and Seattle allowed it to happen. No joke - this is unlike Vancouver in that there was little choice in the Grizz leaving. Sonics left because Seattle felt like KeyArena was comparable to other very profitable NBA arenas (Staples, OKC's Chesapeake, even Vancouver's Rogers then GM Place - all better arenas from the $$ prospective). Sometimes, the bed you make - you have to sleep in it and that is how I feel about Seattle and the NBA; there won't be any more copulation since both feel burned by the other. Go for it Vancouver!

[svlt]

Originally Posted by Hot Rod

I seriously doubt the NBA will return to Seattle for a number of reasons. While the owner of the NBA OKC Thunder likely wanted to move the franchise to OKC all along, it was Seattle and WA that gave him the go-ahead on not building a new arena or seriously starting over at KeyArena. Yes, I am saying this as a Seattle resident (but born in OKC). The owner would have either made a killing in Seattle or sold it and got another team in OKC, but it was US who let the Sonics go or at least made it easier for Bennett to move.

As for Vancouver, I DO think Van City will get a team. You already have a very viable arena and a huge market (also include Seattle [and maybe Calgary/AB] in this market catchment, by the way since WE always like to include Vancouver [and Portland] in our NFL, MLB catchment). There doesn't need to be any more corporate presence than what Vancouver already has, sponsorships do not need to be local and I'm sure Vancouver would have no problem getting national/world corporate advertisers and sponsors.

The key is - Vancouver needs ownership committed to getting a team back much like OKC had with the Thunder and (drumroll) Memphis with stealing the Grizz away in the first place. It was the OWNER in both of these situations that made it happen, both SEA and VAN made it easier for the owner to do it but ownership with dollars, vision, and patience is what is needed. There are plenty of cities around the NBA whose teams are in jeopardy due to arena and/or profitability - with Alquini + Nash ownership (along with Nash as the GM), you can bet that Vancouver NBA team would be highly successful in due time especially if the team can get rising stars internationally (Toronto model) or luck out in the draft and develop those players (OKC model). Seattle is often the posterchild for relocations but honestly I seriously doubt any team will come back here even after a new arena MIGHT get built (and that aint even for sure) given the bad blood.

Me personally, I would have preferred that OKC just kept the Hornets franchise but that would have been a blow to New Orleans who already had a huge natural disaster - so the NBA wanted to avoid that PR hit and instead allow Clay Bennett to rid the NBA of a hostile, elitist city with a piss poor arena and Seattle allowed it to happen. No joke - this is unlike Vancouver in that there was little choice in the Grizz leaving. Sonics left because Seattle felt like KeyArena was comparable to other very profitable NBA arenas (Staples, OKC's Chesapeake, even Vancouver's Rogers then GM Place - all better arenas from the $$ prospective). Sometimes, the bed you make - you have to sleep in it and that is how I feel about Seattle and the NBA; there won't be any more copulation since both feel burned by the other. Go for it Vancouver!

I only have followed this story briefly but I thought Seattle was one step closer to an NHL team (and that by default would include an NBA team) just a couple of weeks ago? The NBA should have never left such a gaping hold in the PNW. What happened with the Grizzlies was a huge slap in the face to us as supporters and I still have an extremely bitter taste in my mouth more than a decade later; it's why I refuse to watch the NBA even though I enjoy basketball and tune in to many of the collegiate and international events.

Originally Posted by Pinion

I laughed reading this. No one's gonna invest in Montreal until the separatism issue is squashed forever and all other cities have volatile economies - if they have any at all. You need new arenas and lots of corporate money above all. Canada will have to fundamentally change as a country to support so many teams, and maybe it will 50 years from now, which I guess would probably still count as in your lifetime?

Well it's hard to guess what will happen in 50 years, but if we're going by population growth trends and if the Canadian economy doesn't fall off a cliff for a long period of time, I can see Canada getting another NBA team (presumably Vancouver), another MLB team (Montreal), a couple more NHL teams (Quebec, Hamilton/GTA), a couple more MLS teams (Ottawa, Edmonton) along with a handful more NASL teams (Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton etc) and a CFL team in the maritimes and/or an NFL team in Toronto.

2 NBA, 2 MLB, 9 NHL, 5 MLS and 1 NFL. Honestly, that's not bad and something I can happily live with. Call me out for having no imagination but I don't see 5-6 teams for every league in Canada happening in this century.

[EastVanMark]

Sold out crowd (over 19,000) for the Raptors-Clippers game this past Sunday. Local press asleep at the switch again in promoting the cause for a return of the NBA to Vancouver. Other foreign news outlets made mention of it, while local news outlets here seem to be oblivious.

[EastVanMark]

Another great crowd for the latest preseason NBA game held in this city. Tickets on resale sites going for over $100.

As a contrast the game in Montreal still has plenty of seats left at the $37 price point.

Just a shame that nobody in the local sports media seems to give a rats ass about this and is too busy talking about the Utica Comets third line combinations, or what Trevor Linden had for breakfast. Riveting radio.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

Another great crowd for the latest preseason NBA game held in this city. Tickets on resale sites going for over $100.

As a contrast the game in Montreal still has plenty of seats left at the $37 price point.

Just a shame that nobody in the local sports media seems to give a rats ass about this and is too busy talking about the Utica Comets third line combinations, or what Trevor Linden had for breakfast. Riveting radio.

Hosting visiting teams once a year doesn't necessarily translate into a permanent team all-year. I'd say that given the inability to attract talent (e.g. Grizzlies) and the static nature of the NBA, a home team would look more like the current Canucks turnout.

Or the Canada-China game we had a few months ago; apparently, most of the audience was PRC nationals who realized it was a curbstomp and left after halftime.